Price of Freedom
by lilmercgirl1980
Summary: AU: 3 men who led a privileged life. 3 women who never new freedom. Their live crash together giving them all something they never had before. Love, passion, friendship, fear, regret, anger all come together to decide the price of freedom. I/K, M/S, S/R
1. Chapter 1

A/N

Hi all. I originally wrote this back in 2006 and never was able to finish it. It's probably still on here since I have a different account now. It is slightly different, but essentially the same plot. I've gone back and made some changes. Remember this is AU, so I took some liberties with the characters. I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer; Inuyasha and the characters do not belong to me. Also, I make no money from this… sigh

In a quiet office, behind a mahogany desk sat a youkai. The only sound heard was that of his pen as he wrote. The rays of the setting sun shown in through the window and slanted across the desk making everything its' light touched glow a deep golden orange.

Laying the pen aside he looked up at the clock on his wall. It was time for dinner. Turning he grabbed his gray long sleeved, cotton t-shirt from the back of the chair and slipped it over his head. Shutting the door to his office, he made his way barefoot into his bedroom and stepped out onto his balcony.

Closing his eyes, he raised his head towards the sky and breathing deeply, smelled the rain in the air. This night would not end before a storm passed through.

Shutting the door to his bedroom, he spotted his younger, half-brothers' door hanging wide open. "InuYasha, if you don't come down to dinner, mother will have your head."

Sprawled across the bed, white hair hanging to the ground, was InuYasha, headphones on, eyes closed and oblivious to the rest of the world. All he could think of was how bad his mother had been bugging him to find a nice girl and settle down. A daughter, Izayoi wanted a daughter. She wanted a daughter to shop with, talk about girl things with, dress up in gorgeous kimonos and to fix her hair. 'Man, I should just by her a doll.'

Sesshomaru entered his brothers' room and stood near Inuyasha's head, eyes boring down onto his brother who had no idea he was there. InuYasha was becoming lazy, in both actions and reflexes.

He kicked the bed.

InuYasha jumped up, throwing off his headphones. "Sesshomaru! What the fuck?"

Sesshomaru turned his back on InuYasha and spoke as he made his way to the door. "Your instincts have failed you brother. You should have sensed this Sesshomaru before I walked into your room. Father needs to take you into the forest for training. You are too slow to react. It is time for dinner."

Grumbling, InuYasha picked his headphones and MP3 player up from the floor and laid them on his night stand. 'Arrogant bastard' he thought. He's not my father. If father wants to take me on a training weekend, he should decide, not Sesshomaru.

"I think it's a fine idea Sesshomaru." Taking a bite of his steak, Toga ended the conversation.

InuYasha looked at his brother with disdain in his eyes.

Sesshomaru merely nodded his head and continued with his meal. "Excellent father, you and InuYasha have fun."

"You're coming too Sesshomaru." The Inu no Taisho said as Sesshomaru tried unsuccessfully, not to choke on his wine.

Taking his napkin to the corner of his mouth he spoke. "This Sesshomaru cannot father. There are proposals to prepare over the weekend for work Monday morning."

"I think your boss could extend the deadline for your proposals, considering you work for me." Toga had a smirk on his face.

Sesshomaru looked over to his brother who was grinning from ear to ear while chewing on his own dinner. "Fine, this Sesshomaru shall go."

"Well, this InuYasha thinks that Sesshomaru sounds like a fucking moron when talking like that."

A female spoke in a voice that commanded attention and acquiescence. "InuYasha! I shall not have that language at the dinner table. I do not want to hear it again."

Furry white ears lowered to his head as he lowered his eyes from his brother. "Yes mother."

Sesshomaru smirked at InuYasha and then looked at Izayoi. She was the human woman who had captured his great fathers' heart, the woman who brought the General of the Dogs to his knees.

The woman he called mother.

"Wipe that smirk off your face Sesshomaru. Your brother, while he may not have tact, is right. I may not use those words that he used so eloquently," she said as she rolled her eyes, "It is very awkward to hear."

"Yes mother." He said releasing a sigh.

Now it was InuYasha who smirked.

"Toga dear, you should take Miroku with you." Izayoi lifted her glass of wine. "I know he and InuYasha had plans this weekend. Instead of canceling them, they can just be changed." She took a sip of her wine and winked at InuYasha.

"I was just thinking that myself dear. Invite him along InuYasha. The boy could use some more training as well. Where is Miroku tonight? Why is he not at dinner?" Toga cut another piece of his steak off and put it into his mouth as he waited for a response.

At that, InuYasha spoke up. "He said something about needing to check out some of the new security equipment that just arrived."

Dinner was finished with talks of the day, and plans for the next. Izayoi decided not to pester her sons about finding nice girls tonight. They had already received enough from their father.

Later that night InuYasha found Miroku messing around with the security system.

Miroku was their head of security, along with Inuyasha's best friend. He was an odd combination of Monk and Youkai, extremely rare, and InuYasha often wondered if he wasn't the only one in the world like that. Miroku's father, the monk, rescued a woman who was being attacked by wild youkai. After saving her, he realized that she was youkai. That didn't matter. He fell in love with her, and Miroku was the result of that love.

"What do you mean I have to go? Who says?" Miroku asked InuYasha as he sat in front of the computers in the security room of the home.

InuYasha had no idea what Miroku was doing. His hands and fingers flying over the keyboards set up in front of the wall of monitors. "I do, that's who. You're coming even if I have to knock you out and stick your body in the trunk." InuYasha growled. "If I have to be stuck in the woods all weekend with Captain Stick up his Ass, so do you."

Miroku's hands and fingers stopped moving as he leaned back in his chair and kept his amethyst eyes on the monitor. InuYasha looked to see what was so interesting.

There on the monitor was one of his mothers' maids, the newest one to be exact, getting out of the shower with a towel wrapped around her body.

"Fucking pervert." InuYasha stood in front of the monitor blocking Miroku's view.

"Oh, come on Yash, I was just looking." He tried to look around InuYasha but it was no use. InuYasha wouldn't budge. "Fine. I'll go." He said with a grumble.

"Good." InuYasha said as he looked around at the monitor. The maid was gone. He walked out the door but stuck his head back in. "Oh, and make sure the only thing you do is watch. If mother catches you she'll skin you. She still hasn't forgiven you for running her last maid off."

Miroku stood up from his chair, a look of hurt on his face. "That wasn't my fault."

"Yeah, right. Let me guess, your hand was possessed and just decided to grab her ass all on its own."

"No," His dark, amethyst eyes sparkled. "My hand was fine. It was my brain that was consumed with the vision of her bending over in that itty bitty skirt she was wearing that was my downfall."

"You're still a pervert."

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The cell door slammed shut as her knees hit the hard stone floor. She quickly pulled herself to her feet and turned to stare at the man who had decided to kick her into the cell.

She watched as he stared at her with a perverse smile on his face. He licked his lips which caused her to shiver in revulsion. Then he spoke, and his voice did nothing to make her feel better.

"I look forward to breaking you in." He winked at her. His sadistic laugh stayed in her mind long after he left.

After a moment the girl turned her dirt covered face to look around. In the cell were two other girls about her age. The one walked over to her and smiled. "Hi. I'm Kagome, and this is Sango." Sango walked over to her and offered her a cup filled with water.

The girl took the cup and drank until the last drop was gone. "Thank you." She gave the cup back to Sango and looked around. There were three beds, a desk, a bathroom, and one window with bars. "Where shall I sleep?" The girl asked.

"Well, I normally sleep in that bed by the window, and Sango sleeps in the one next to me. But if you like, you could sleep in between Sango and I if that would make you feel a little safer. Sango and I aren't too picky."

The girl walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed.

Kagome and Sango looked at each other and then went over to sit on Kagome's bed. "What's your name?" Sango asked. She handed the girl a blanket. The poor girl looked cold and tired.

"I don't have one." The girl said as she accepted the blanket and wrapped it around herself. "What is this place?"

Kagome looked at the girl with a combination of pity and sadness in her eyes. "Naraku's palace."

The girl took note of the look of despair that crossed Kagome's face. While she didn't think this was going to be a walk in the park compared to the last place she was, she hoped it would be a little better. The look told her otherwise.

Kagome looked at Sango. Sango nodded her head and Kagome explained. "Well, this is basically a place where girls are sold into slavery. Sango and I have been luckier than some of the other girls that pass through here. At this point, Sango and I are nothing but maids. We are awakened at 5am every morning. We clean Naraku's house, the man who runs this place. We're lucky we're older. I'm twenty and Sango is 21, we are considered 'too old'. Unfortunately, it's the girls who are under 18 who get it the worst. Most of them are either sold to old men as wives, while the rest are sold off as, well, how should I put this? Many of them are sold off as sex slaves."

The girl's eye's got huge as she pulled the blanket tighter around her. "I don't know how old I am."

"We'll tell them your 19. Listen," Kagome lowered her voice to just under a whisper. "Sango and I are getting out of here this weekend. Friday mornings we go down the mountain to the market. There is only one guard with us. With just Sango and me it would have been hard, but having one more person will make it a lot easier. So, do you wanna help us, and the three of us can get out of this place?"

The girl looked at Kagome and Sango. "Yes." She wanted to leave this place. She wanted to leave this life. For as long as she could remember she had been sold to one person after another as if she were a piece of property. She needed to get out. She needed to be free.

Being tossed in this cell like a piece of trash just may have been a gift. Kagome and Sango seemed nice.

She watched as the two girls moved about the cell preparing for sleep. She hoped this wasn't some sort of trick or a trap they were planning. She didn't know them, and sometimes, if you weren't careful, you would be tested.

But she had had enough of this non-life she was living.

With a sigh she closed her eyes, trying to let sleep consume her.

As she slept, she dreamed, of a tall man, with silver hair and golden eyes.

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5am Thursday morning came way too early for InuYasha. His father decided to leave a day early for some unknown reason. "It's my instinct telling me we need to leave early," his father had said. InuYasha hadn't believed him for a minute. The old weasel wanted to leave before mom could wrangle him in to helping her with the planning and details of the dinner party she was having. He loaded up the SUV while his father and Sesshomaru continued to bring equipment out to the garage.

"You'd think we were going to war, not training." Miroku said as he handed InuYasha the swords that were sheathed and placed in a large duffel bag.

"Ha! You think this is bad? You should've seen it the last time we went. Father brought along enough weapons for an army. This is nothing compared to that trip." InuYasha finished throwing the rest of the gear into the trunk when his father and Sesshomaru appeared.

"Alright boys, stop messing around and let's get going. It's about a two hour ride to the mountains. Get some rest if you can, you're gonna need it."

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Sesshomaru wandered through the forest surrounding the camp sight until he found a lonely tree near the crest of a hill overlooking a river. The moon was full and he was restless. InuYasha and Miroku had long since let sleep overcome them, and father was happy sitting around the fire sharpening his swords.

Something was wrong on this mountain. He could feel it deep in his bones. Something was off. Something was going on. He didn't know what it was, but he would find out. He would talk to his father in the morning and see how much he knew about the mountain. There was a black cloud hanging over this forest, and he intended to find out why.

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The lights were turned out in the cell. It was time for the girls to sleep. As luck would have it, Master Naraku decided that the girl he would call Kauga would become a maid in his house with Sango and Kagome. Things were going exactly as planned Kagome thought to herself. She looked over at the girl lying in bed. "You don't like that name do you?"

"I hate it. I've had so many names over the years, but the way he looked at me as he said it… it was just revolting to me." She suppressed a shiver that wanted to creep its way down her spine. "When we're out of here, I'm choosing a new name." The girl smiled at Kagome. She pulled the blanket up to her neck and allowed sleep to come.

The morning came quickly. The girls were starting down the mountain with the guard following. The morning brought with it a light rain shower. The path was slick with leaves and mud. The girls huddled close together, not only for warmth, but to also wait for the perfect time to run.

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"Man, this is stupid. It's raining and I can't see a thing in front of my face." InuYasha, wearing a red gi, was holding one of his fathers' swords readying himself for Sesshomaru's attack.

"You will not always be able to see your enemy InuYasha, you must sense him. You must not rely solely on one sense." Sesshomaru walked towards InuYasha with the intention of battling when he heard a scream.

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The guard who had been following the girls tripped on a tree branch and fell to the ground. His rifle slipped down the path in front of the girl's who decided that now was the time to run. They were already out of sight by the time he recovered and was back on his feet. He ran forward, grabbing the gun as he passed, hoping he would find them before Master Naraku found out.

"Keep moving forward, we're almost to the first clearing." Kagome yelled as she ran. We're gonna make it. I know we can. We're almost free.

The girl Naraku called Kauga was behind Kagome. She was running as fast as her legs would carry her. Her calves were burning and a sharp pain was stabbing into her side. She wouldn't stop running though. As long a she kept going, she would finally have her freedom.

Sango was last, keeping an eye over her shoulder to make sure that the guard wasn't closing in on them. They could make it. All they needed to do was get to the first clearing, and then they could take one of the many paths off of the mountain. Looking back she saw that the guard was starting to catch up to them. "He's coming! Run faster!"

The girls quickened their run as much as they could. The clearing was right ahead, just another hundred feet and they'd make it.

The girl tripped, falling into a jagger bush causing a scream to escape her lips. Kagome stopped to help her back to her feet and began running with her. When they neared the edge of the forest, Kagome gave her one last push through the clearing.

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All four men looked at each other. "It's coming from over there." Sesshomaru pointed towards the forest. With his sword still in hand he carefully walked towards the path ahead. InuYasha followed holding his sword, with Miroku bringing up the rear with a monks staff. Toga watched the boys as they neared the edge of the forest. Something would happen that would change all of their lives. This was why they had left early.

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She felt a hand on her back as Kagome pushed her forward and through the bushes. She hit something with a thud and looked up into eyes of gold. His face was the most beautiful that she had ever seen. "Help me," was all she said as exhaustion over came her and she collapsed into his arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Let me check… nope, I still don't own it. Le sigh…

Two more girls rushed through the bushes and fell at his feet. There was still someone coming through the woods. The men readied their weapons and prepared for a fight as they heard a man's voice. "You won't escape wenches! I will find you and return you to Master Naraku where you will be punished!"

A man burst through the bushes and stopped when he felt the tip of a sword against his throat. He dropped his gun by his feet and swallowed hard. "What business do you have with these girls?" A booming voice rang out from beside the man. He looked over to see a demon standing beside him.

The sword at his neck was held by a younger demon with silver hair. "My father asked you a question sir. It would be wise to answer him." Sesshomaru said with the sword still pointed at the man's throat.

"These girls belong to my master. They escaped and I am returning them to him." The man bowed his head as he spoke, showing respect to the demons.

Sesshomaru lowered his sword. "I did not know that one could own another human. One owns objects, not another's life." Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow while awaiting a response from the low life in front of him.

"My master paid very well for these three, I intend to see them returned to him." The man raised his head with challenge in his eyes.

Toga watched as his oldest son handled the situation. I always knew he would be the one, Toga thought to himself. Sesshomaru may be hard on the outside, but he has a caring heart. He will be the head of the family one day. The Inu no Taisho stood back, and allowed his son to continue.

"How much did your master pay for these girls?"

"I don't know, but I know he paid well, sir."

He paid well, huh? Well, then I would be able to by them their freedom with mere change. Sesshomaru looked at the man. "InuYasha."

InuYasha approached and took his brothers place. His Tessaiga's tip held at the man's throat.

Sesshomaru walked over to his bag lying near a tree. After pulling a money pouch from it, he returned to the man. Tossing it to him he turned his back, his voice leaving no room to argue. "Take this back to your master. Tell him that Lord Sesshomaru has bought these girls lives. They no longer belong to him."

The guard looked down at the money pouch and stumbled on his words as gold coins filled the bag. He looked up at the retreating form of Sesshomaru as the sword InuYasha held was being placed back in its sheath.

After reaching the girl he had lain on the ground he picked her up and turned to look at the man. "Never look for these girls again. They are not your concern anymore." Gathering her close, he walked back towards their camp.

Toga looked at the man as he turned to walk away. InuYasha and Miroku where helping the two other girls back to camp. Yes, things were about to change for his sons. He could hardly contain the smile that threatened to reveal itself.

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Sango and Kagome sat around the fire with blankets around them. The rain had stopped, but now they were wet and cold.

Kagome looked around the fire at the men, or rather youkai, who were their saviors. Toga was the father of InuYasha and Sesshomaru. Kagome had trouble believing it at first. After all, he didn't look a day over 30. He had long silver hair pulled up into a ponytail on the top of his head, beautiful golden eyes and a jagged, purple stripe on each cheek.

InuYasha and Miroku were hanyous. She didn't think they were related, however they acted more like brothers than InuYasha and Sesshomaru.

InuYasha had amazingly silver hair that glowed in the firelight. His golden eyes sparkled with every look sent her way. It sent shivers down her spine that had her blushing and looking away. Atop his head set two pointed dog ears. She wanted to touch them so badly.

Miroku had hair like midnight, with two black pointed ears atop his head. His amethyst eyes sparkled with mischief. She had noticed Sango checking him out when he was crouched by the fire adding more wood to keep the blaze going.

InuYasha watched the girls from across the fire. As soon as the water in the kettle started to make noise InuYasha prepared tea to help warm the girls up. He thought that the girl called Kagome was beautiful. She had eyes that were so alive, yet she had been locked away as someone's property. That wasn't the case anymore. Sesshomaru, for all the shit that InuYasha gave him, handled the guy great. The man was scared shitless, and Sesshomaru used that to his advantage.

He poured some tea and crossed to Kagome. Sitting down beside her he handed her a cup of black tea. He looked over to his brother who was kneeling beside the girl that had collapsed. "What's her story?" InuYasha asked Kagome as he sipped his tea.

After taking a sip of her warm, sweet tea Kagome sighed. "We're not sure. She was brought in a couple of days ago. She was the newest addition to Naraku's slaves. She had told me that she had been attacked by wolf demons shortly before her arrival. She doesn't even have a name. She has no real idea who she is. She was sold to Naraku by a man that claimed to be her uncle. Naraku gave her the name Kauga, but she hates it. She wants to change it."

"Kauga does not suit her." Sesshomaru said as he pulled a blanket up over the girls' shoulders.

InuYasha raised an eyebrow as he watched his brother. Did he just make sure she was comfortable? InuYasha thought to himself. I've never seen Sesshomaru acting so, so, what's the word I'm looking for? Caring? His brother, the hard ass, is being caring. He parted with a lot of money for these girls. Why did he do it? Watching his brother being so tender with that girl, he thought he was looking at someone else.

Sesshomaru sat down beside the girl. He took a good look at her face. She was covered in dirt. She looked so helpless, defenseless. The urge to protect her from everything was overwhelming. She was the most beautiful creature he had ever seen.

He stood, disgusted with his thoughts and the way they were going. He walked to the edge of the camp clearing, sat and looked into the darkness beyond.

Snap out of it Sesshomaru. She is just a child. She couldn't be older than 18, and you're, well, you're over five hundred years old.

"You're only in your 20's Sesshomaru."

"Father?"

Toga sat down beside his son. "I could tell by the look on your face. You think she is too young for you. You're wrong."

Sesshomaru stood up intending to walk away. "I have no idea what you are talking about father. I am not interested in this human girl."

"What's so bad about humans my son. I married one. You call her mother, don't you?"

"That's not the point father. I never plan on marrying. If I do it is for duty only. You and mother will have to get used to that fact. I will do my duty to continue the Inu line, but that is all. Anything more is not for me." He was walking away when he heard the girl cry out. He went back to her side, and knelt beside her. He caught himself wanting to push the hair off of her forehead, but resisted.

'Why am I, Sesshomaru, acting this way? I have no interest in this girl other than the fact that I parted with money for her, although if I am to be truthful, what I paid is mere change and rather pathetic.'

'Ha!' Toga thought. 'This girl will change my son's whole perception of his life. Sesshomaru won't know what hit him. He is so much like myself before I met Izayoi. Wait until I tell his mother.' Toga stood and walked towards the fire.

Hours later when the moon was high above the horizon she awoke. She looked towards the fire that was slowly burning out and saw her two friends asleep. On either side of them were two boys. One had silver hair and was sitting while he slept. The other with black hair was beside Sango. An older man was sitting with his back against a tree, a sword at his side, sleeping. The man whom she had bumped into sat beside her asleep.

Looking at him she sat up. His hair was a silvery white color that reflected the moonlight. She remembered his eyes were a deep gold. He had two markings on both of his cheeks near his temples; his ears were a little pointy.

A scene passed quickly in front of her eyes. A dream which haunted her nights, making her want so much more. There was a curtain of silver cascading around her face, blocking her from everything around her as she lay on her back. Then she felt the soft touch of lips, tingles from a touch, then a moan escaping her lips.

She jerked back from the memory of the dream and met the stare of the golden eyed god in front of her. She immediately became fearful.

She new demons could sense emotions, and Inu-Youkai had an extremely advanced sense of smell. Could he smell her arousal at what she had been remembering? Crap.

The scent of her arousal caused his eyes to open. Golden eyes met her emerald orbs. Then he smelled her fear.

"This Sesshomaru will not harm you."

She just stared back at him, never breaking eye contact. He noticed the rise and fall of her chest as her pert breasts pushed against the wet fabric of her shirt.

"Do you fear me?"

Lowering her head, she said just above a whisper, "You're youkai."

"This youkai is the one whose arms you ran into. I am the one you asked for help. I am also the same one who bought you from Naraku."

"Yes, you did." She said softly. Lying back down, she pulled the blanket up to her neck and closed her eyes.

He was right. He had bought her. She was his now. He was also youkai. She couldn't trust him because she trusted no man, be they human, youkai or hanyou.

As she fell asleep she dreamt again of the man with golden eyes and silver hair, but this time there was a face to go with it. It was the face of her savior, the face of a handsome youkai with a crescent moon on his forehead, and stripes on his cheeks.

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Kagome opened her eyes. There was no cell holding her now. She decided she would take a walk. It had been a long time since she could do something she wanted. Now that she could, she figured she should start right away. She was walking towards the crest of a hill when she heard someone following her. She turned and saw InuYasha standing behind her. "What do you want?" Kagome asked, fear in her voice.

"I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Sesshomaru may have bought you your freedom for the moment, but that doesn't mean that Naraku won't keep looking for you." He walked over to the tree that Sesshomaru had been sitting at the night before. He plopped down to look up at the stars, his back against the tree, one leg bent with his knee up and the other straight in front of him with his arm resting on his knee.

Kagome walked over and sat beside him. She looked up at his ears.

"What're you looking at?" InuYasha knew exactly what she was looking at. It was always the ears.

Kagome got to her knees. She reached out and started rubbing his ears. "They're sooo cute!"

"Would you stop that! I'm not a puppy ya know!"

"Sorry." Kagome sat down beside him. "They're just so cute, I couldn't help myself. I'm sure you get that all the time from girls huh?"

He scratched his head and wondered about this girl sitting in front of him. "Actually, you're the first. Every once in a while a kid will do that, but never a woo… never a gi… I mean, never someone of the opposite gender."

His face was turning red. He was embarrassed Kagome thought. How cute. She smiled up at him.

"How long had you been at Naraku's?" InuYasha saw the smile fade from her face and was angry with himself for even bringing it up. "I'll, I mean, my family and I will need to know more in order to protect you. That's the only reason I brought it up." He turned his head away from her and looked up at the sky.

Kagome looked at InuYasha then leaned her head on his shoulder. She had always been an affectionate child. That stopped when she was taken away. She missed the comfort that came from the simplest of contact.

She felt him stiffen slightly, but then relaxed. "Can you let me have tonight InuYasha? Tomorrow, I will tell you and your family all there is to tell."

"Okay Kagome." Looking up at the sky he found his arm trying to make its way around Kagome. She leaned into him and looked up at the stars. She fell asleep in the protection of his arms.

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Sango had heard InuYasha following Kagome and went to check on her. True they had saved them from the guard, but still. Kagome was her friend and she wanted to make sure this InuYasha guy kept his hands to himself. She stayed behind some bushes and was watching them. She could barely make out what they were saying.

"That's eavesdropping you know." A voice said softly into her ear.

She turned around and saw Miroku standing right behind her. She hadn't even heard him approach her. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was just making sure he didn't try anything on her, that's all."

"InuYasha's harmless really. I wouldn't worry too much about him. He's not the type to take advantage of someone." He turned to walk away and looked at her, "Coming?" He asked making sure to let InuYasha and Kagome have some privacy.

Sango reluctantly followed. Walking beside him she started to get a funny feeling in her stomach. She had noticed that he was cute, she wasn't dead ya know. He had amazing eyes and those ears were adorable. It's perfectly normal to feel this way about a man who had helped save me, she kept telling herself. She was lost in thought when she heard her name. "Huh?"

"I was saying how this night turned out to be very nice. We actually left a day early. If we hadn't, well, needless to say, we wouldn't have been on the mountain this morning, and you never would have happened upon us. I guess things happen for a reason, don't you think so?" He had stopped in front of her and was looking deep into her eyes.

A slight blush crept onto her cheeks. "I guess so. We were lucky you were here." She smiled up at him.

Miroku took that as a good sign. "Well, we should be getting back before Master Toga wakes."

He led her back towards the campsite. After she had lain down, Miroku laid down beside her. "If there is anything you need Sango, don't hesitate to roll over and ask. I am only a few inches away."

Looking at him, she saw a look of devilment on his face, "I'll keep that in mind." She said very flatly and lay down to sleep.

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Izayoi sat at the desk in the library looking through an old book. She shut the book and stood. The house was too quiet without her boys. They weren't due back for two more days and she had no idea what she was going to do with herself until they returned. She was driving the servants insane with her pacing and wandering. She had tried to paint out in her shed, but she ended up throwing the canvas away. She tried baking and was thrown out of her own kitchen by their chef. She tried cleaning and was told she was paying people good money to do these things for her, so she should just sit down and enjoy the peace.

Maybe she would try planting some flowers. It relaxed her when InuYasha was a little one. Maybe it would relax her until her family returned.

She had changed into a pair of old, faded jeans, a cotton t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers. She was walking out the front door when the gardener stopped her on the porch. "You leave flowers alone. I know what you do. You try doing every one else job today. You no do my job."

Izayoi stood there in shock as the gardener walked off the porch and towards the gardens. "That's it. This is my house and by Kami if I want to plant flowers, I'm going to plant flowers." She started off the porch toward the gardens when she heard the SUV pulling into the drive. She looked to see her boys coming home. The thought never even crossed her mind that they were home early. She was just excited to see them.

Running over to the vehicle, she met her husband as he climbed out of the SUV. "Oh Toga! I'm so happy you're home. I missed you so much."

He leaned down and kissed his wife. "Izayoi, there is something you and I need to talk about."

Izayoi looked over to see three young girls standing in front of her boys. "Oh my."

"Now honey, don't get too worked up. These girls needed our help, and…"

She never heard the rest of her husband's sentence. She was over by the girls in an instant. "Oh my! You poor girls. Come in the house. I'll tell the servants we have guests. You girls look like you could use a hot bath and some nice clean clothes. I'll see what I can find for you. Oh you poor dears. Come on, move along with you. Into the house, let's go."

Kagome looked over her shoulder as she and the others were being herded into the house and smiled at InuYasha. He shrugged his shoulders and started to unload the car.

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While the men were in the library discussing the situation at hand, Izayoi was upstairs fussing over the girls.

"Now then, let's get you girls out of those dirty clothes and into these yukata's while I get you a bath ready.

She laid three cotton yukata's on the bed and went into the bathroom to start the tub. The girls quickly shed their clothes for the yukata's and went into the bathroom.

Izayoi decided that she would stay and help the girls. They were covered in mud from head to toe. Kagome and Sango started to bathe while the other girl tried to get the dirt from her hair.

"Here dear, let me help you with that." Izayoi said. She took the brush from the girls hand and grabbed a cup. Filling it with hot water, she poured it slowly into the girl's hair. "What's your name dear?"

This woman was being so nice to her and she didn't know how to act. "I don't have one m'lady."

"Call me Izayoi. Now then, I can't refer to you as girl all the time now can I? You know, if I had had a daughter instead of a son, I would have called her Rin. What do you think of that name?" Izayoi lathered her hair carefully as not to pull on the knots and mud that was plastered to her head.

"It's really pretty." Kagome added thinking back to what Sesshomaru had said. "It's a beautiful name. I think you should use it."

The girl looked at Sango who nodded her head in agreement. "Then my name shall be Rin" she said. Izayoi smiled as she rinsed Rin's hair.

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"Have you ever heard of Naraku father?" Sesshomaru asked as he paced the library with a glass of sake in his hand. He stopped to look out the window as the night started to creep in. They had all showered and changed. Gi's are comfortable while training, but they had been wearing them for two days. While the girls were cleaning up, they figured they would too.

Toga took a sip of his sake and shook his head. "Unfortunately, no I have not. I will make some calls first thing tomorrow and see if I can't find something out. InuYasha, Miroku, I want the two of you to watch over the girls tonight."

Miroku's eyes lit up with excitement. Now maybe he might be able to find out more about the lovely Sango. THONK! "Ouch! What'd you do that for?"

InuYasha thumped him on the head again. "I saw that look in your eyes you lecher. He said to watch over them, not paw over them." InuYasha sat back down in his chair.

Toga chuckled. "I want to put them in the room between yours and Sesshomaru's. Miroku, you will stay in with InuYasha tonight. Sesshomaru, your ears are more sensitive than InuYasha's and Miroku's, so I will be counting on you to hear anything out of the ordinary."

There was a knock on the door. Toga walked to the door to open it. Izayoi walked in. "I thought you might like to see the girls before I have some dinner brought to them. They are so tired I figured they could eat early and then get some rest."

InuYasha stood. "It's not like we haven't seen them before mother…" His voice faded as Kagome walked into the room. She had color on her cheeks and her eyes were sparkling. Her long hair was smooth and shiny, laying down her back. She blushed as InuYasha stood there with his mouth hanging open.

Izayoi walked over to her son and putting her hand under his chin, closed his mouth for him.

Miroku started laughing at InuYasha's reaction. Then Sango walked into the room. Miroku had the same expression on his face as InuYasha had had. "Ha!" InuYasha said as he smacked Miroku on the back.

"Sango. You look lovely." Before she could thank Miroku for the compliment he grabbed Sango by the hands. "Would you consider bearing my children?"

"Oh Miroku." Izayoi said as she buried her face in her hands.

SMACK!

Sango turned and walked away from him leaving a red handprint across his cheek.

While all this was unfolding, Sesshomaru had been standing looking out the window. He heard the smack, and InuYasha laughing. Then silence. He turned to see the girl standing in the doorway, shy, hesitant to enter. She was breathtaking.

Her skin looked like soft fine silk, while her emerald eyes sparkled and danced in the light. Her ebony hair was long and wavy hanging over the shoulders of the black and yellow kimono she wore. Sesshomaru set his glass down and started walking towards her.

Izayoi saw the sudden change in Sesshomaru. If she hadn't seen it with her own eyes, she wouldn't have believed it. He softened immediately. His features, the way he moved, everything about him changed in that one instance. Izayoi looked at Rin and saw her stiffen. She looked back at Sesshomaru and saw the softness disappear.

He walked towards Rin who was stiff as a board. He stopped and looked her in the eyes briefly, and then walked around her and out the door.

Tears started to well up in Rin's eyes. She turned and ran from the room.

"Well now, what was all that about? She looked as though she were afraid of him." Izayoi said half to herself.

"I think she is a little afraid of him. We don't know much about her, but from what I've gathered, she's had a hard life. I do know she was attacked by wolf youkai not long before she was brought to Naraku's." Sango said as she removed Miroku's hand from her bottom.

"Sesshomaru would never harm her. I think I should go talk to her." Izayoi said as Toga put his hand on his wife's shoulder.

"Let me," He said to his wife. "You go talk to Sesshomaru."

Toga walked towards the door. "InuYasha, why don't you and Miroku take the girls to the kitchen and see if you can find them something to eat?"

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